If you’re like me – a thrifty cheapskate – you can make some effective less-expensive devices. Here are five training devices you can construct at a reasonable financial expense.

Durable Sand Bags

Sand bag training can be productive, but one consistent issue is the durability of the bag. Constant dropping can compromise the seams that encase the sand. It can be frustrating and messy when training with a leaky bag. 

Here is a method to construct a durable sand bag that will be resistant to numerous drops to the ground. Obtain these:

• A military duffel bag measuring 6’ long and 20″ wide (or larger)
• Various sections of truck or large vehicle tire inner tubes, five to eight feet or longer un-punctured sections of tubes
• Two hose clamps for each tube section

RELATED: 5 Week Sandbag Workout Program: Week 1 – Get Started

Equipment required – Left: Duffel bag; Right: Large vehicle tire inner tube.

Construct it like this:

1. Fold and secure one end of the inner tube with a hose clamp. Be sure to tighten the clamp to maximal tension.
2. Fill the inner tube with sand to the desired weight (i.e., 50, 100, or 150 pounds). Use a scale to determine weight of tube sections.
3. Fold and secure the other end of the inner tube with the other hose clamp. Again, be sure to tighten the clamp as tight as possible. You can also add Gorilla or duct tape to offer another level of security.
4. Load the military duffel bag with the sand-loaded inner tubes to the desired amount of total weight you want. That is, if you want a 150-pound sand bag, load a 100- and 50-pound inner tube bag into the duffel bag. Do the math, however it works for you.
5. When you reach the desired total sand bag weight, secure the end of the duffel bag with a rope or other method.

You now have a functional training sand bag that will endure many hours of lifting and dropping.

Multi-Use Manual Resistance Device

This is pretty simple to make. To get started, you need these items:

• Five-foot length of ¾” rope
• Two ¾” washers
• Two 6″ x ¾” PVC pipe sections

The completed multi-use manual resistance device.

Slide the PVC sections and washers on the rope. Tie a knot at each end to secure the washers. You now have a device to perform manually-applied resistance. One person can either grasp the PVC sections or the rope itself while his or her partner holds the PVC.

It can be used for bicep curls, tricep extensions, upright rows, one-arm seated rows, or any other creative exercise.

Performing bicep curls with manual resistance.

Barbell Back Squat Assist Device

This implement is intended for those with shoulder joint issues. Young lads and lasses who barbell back squat without shoulder issues are lucky. But, beware as you age. As you accrue years on your training body, maintaining the bar on the back of the neck can compromise the shoulder joint.

RELATED: 5 Simple Solutions to Shoulder Pain

If your shoulders hurt due to extreme upper arm extension or external rotation, you need to be able to move your arm to a more comfortable stabilizing position (usually out in front) if you desire to back squat with a barbell.

Here is a simple hack that will allow you to squat pain-free at the shoulders. Use either wrist straps or other strap devices.

Either way, they will allow you to secure the bar at whatever hand-spread distance is comfortable for you without extreme shoulder joint stress.

Left: Attaching the strapping; Right: Squatting with the strapping.

Thick Bar Training

The pool noodle. A pool noodle? Really? They’re for hanging in the pool on a hot summer day. Eureka! They can be used to help your strength training endeavors.

Take a 3″ diameter pool noodle with a 1″ center hole. You can make either shorter, individual sections (i.e., 4″ to 6″ sections for dumbbells or barbells) or a long three-foot section to be attached to a barbell.

With a box cutter, slice a seam on one side to the center hole.

From here, simply secure the noodle section(s) to the bar/dumbbell and you instantly have a thick hand grip to work with.

Left: Securing the noodle to the barbell; Right: Benching with the new thick hand grip.

Foam Roller

With that 3″ diameter pool noodle (or thicker), you can easily make a foam roller for a few dollars.

• Cut it to the length you desire.
• Obtain a plastic PVC or metal electrical conduit pipe and cut it ½″ shorter that the pool noodle length. Make sure the diameter of the PVC/conduit pipe is the same diameter of the center hole of the pool noodle.
• Slide the PVC/conduit pipe through the center hole of the noodle

Secure the ends with some type of plug and duct tape, and you have afoam roller for just a few cents.

Left: Threading the pipe through the center hole; Right: Securing the ends with duct tape.

Summary

These inexpensive hacks can save your hard-earned money while allowing you train effectively. It’s okay to be thrifty and still train hard.

What gym hacks have you come up with or have found that work best for you? Share your ideas to the comments below.

The post 5 Training Device Hacks to Save You Cash appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

What appears to be a giant mushroom of iron, the LibertyBell, is a training tool with novel design and “old school” strength training application. At first glance, even the most experienced trainers and athletes will wonder, “What’s it for?” LibertyBells aren’t short of versatility, however, so any bewilderment about what to use them for can be answered with a long list of movements.

The LibertyBells I tested were 24lbs each. Their upside-down mushroom appearance can also be likened to a bell, thus the obvious connection to the name. This grip intensive tool is essentially an iron bowl with much of the weight distributed in the lip of the bowl. Welded firmly in the center of the bowl is a stem of seamless iron that extends up through the open face of the bowl, which aesthetically represents the clapper portion of a church bell and functions as the handle.

The creator of LibertyBell is on to something, in my opinion, with the position that “old-fashioned” strength building has validity in regards to both performance and value in the market place. A phrase the folks at LibertyBell have been throwing around really sat well with me: “If you can’t grip it, you can’t lift it.” I think the LibertyBell can stand up as a respectable training tool because it demands grip strength without taking the roll of a grip-strength-only tool. The hang power clean, for example, also develops/requires grip strength, but has much larger training application than say a Captains of Crush gripper. As such, there’s an authentic feel to strength training with LibertyBell that I respect.

Athletes or trainers who take the plunge with a LibertyBell or two can expect to add many options to their training sessions. LibertyBells can be used in a variety of ways including swinging (like a kettlebell), pressing (bench or standing), Olympic lift variations, and even overhead squats. A surprising find for me was the LibertyBell’s ability to recruit, and in my case, expose strength in the thumb.

Some may wonder what the difference is, and if one is already doing the same movements with other implements then why not just continue to perform them with their usual tool (i.e. barbell, kettlebell, dumbbell, etc)? To answer this the people behind the LibertyBell have done some homework with relevant coaches and researchers to study LibertyBells in action. One study of thirteen athletes from Southeastern Louisiana University contrasting training sessions with LibertyBells and kettlebells yielded positive results. The study found that training with LibertyBells showed increased heart rates as compared to kettlebells, and that the perception of exertion was higher. I’d encourage folks not to overlook the power of perception that this study shed light on. Mental adaptions in training, especially in athletes, have great value.

Another difference maker lies in the shape and structure of LibertyBells. The users ability to reach in and grab the LibertyBell’s knob-like handle allows for a freer, more natural arm position from the hand to the shoulder. The obvious hand positioning restriction on a barbell in an overhead lift, for example, makes working around injuries or immobility more difficult. The same is true of the displacement of a kettlebell in the hand. In contrast, the radial dispersion of weight combined with the freedom of the knob grip in a LibertyBell is a brilliant escape from the aforementioned restrictions.

Positioned as a tool to further expand the variation of fundamental lifts and strength training, the LibertyBell is both authentic and effective. Its novelty is a hurdle, however. In my opinion, given the perspective of it’s creators and practical application, it doesn’t enter the category of being a fitness “gimmick,” but I do think there are a few things that might stand in the way of adoption from athletes and trainers. Without the extensive wealth of (common) knowledge surrounding barbell, kettlebell, and dumbbell training, unfortunately many prospective users won’t ever get past the original question, “What’s it for?” These simple issues are nothing time and education can’t remedy, of course.

I personally am glad I got past the initial bewilderment of what to do with my first LibertyBell and had the resources to take on a few training sessions with them. They will surprise you in a refreshing way once you can get down to work with them.

LibertyBells are available online at bluechipfitness.com for $75.00

The post Product Review: The Liberty Bell appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As an athlete, I know I am not alone when I say chalk is all but a commodity in the world of weightlifting. Now, I can’t speak for the rock climbing community but in my experience chalk is chalk, and that’s that. Right?

Wrong.

Primo Chalk has developed a chalk product that stands alone in the seemingly straightforward market for weightlifters, gymnasts, and rock climbers. First and foremost, Primo Chalk is infused with anti-bacterial oils, which brings a new level of sanitation to the gym floor. Not only does Primo Chalk boast they have a Staph fighting, all natural, antibacterial product, they have published research to prove it.

Clinical trials indicate an aerosol version of Primo Chalk’s antibacterial oils:

…can significantly reduce the number of aerosol-borne bacteria and may have application in treating air for enclosed environments and preventing transmission of aerosol-borne bacterial pathogens.¹

Now, I myself never looked to clean up my act with gym chalk. That’s what a good hand washing and lotion is for, isn’t it? Well, another aspect of the chalk is surprisingly worth mentioning as well. It has a wonderful scent and actually feels like it conditions your skin. Primo warned me it would, so I was pleasantly surprised the “essential oils” did what they said they would.

Outside of the spa-like qualities that probably don’t mean much to most weightlifters, the chalk performed outstanding. It lasted longer than the more dry, simple chalk I’m used to and I found myself wondering how I’d grown so fond of a chalk brand.

A downside to Primo Chalk is the cost. This is more than the average chalk, so you must pay for it. For example, a 32oz bag of Primo Chalk retails for $34.95. An equal amount of standard gym chalk, such as Ader Gym Chalk, will go for $19.50.

The take away for me was that in a week Primo Chalk turned me into a believer. I now have a chalk preference. Who would have thought? Though I’m not one to place value on skin products and their “soothing” benefits, they are undeniable side benefits of Primo Chalk, nonetheless. As for the anti-bacterial qualities, I’m not germaphobic but as a gym owner, it’s intriguing. The thought of having one bad story about being a “gym with a Staph problem” is enough motivation for me to splurge on an enjoyable chalk experience.

Primo Chalk does have a wholesale program. So, if you own a gym you can share the Primo Chalk experience with all of your athletes through your retail distribution.

In addition, Primo Chalk is confident in it’s ability to impress. They are so confident in it they offer up a money back guarantee unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Primo Chalk will pay two times your money back if you aren’t satisfied with their product. They will actually pay you your money back and then some if you don’t like it. How’s that for confidence?

I applaud Primo Chalk for raising the bar in an area of sports performance that’s apparently overlooked. I look forward bringing my own bag to the gym with me.

Primo Chalk is available for $34.95 at PrimoChalk.com

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